A New Beginning
by The Red Dementor
Summary: Harry makes a deal with Death in order to travel back in time and change the result of the second war against Voldemort. Chapter 1 is up. Rated T for violence, suggested adult themes (maybe) and character deaths. Reviews are welcome, good or bad, though I would prefer nice ones.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, if I did it would be distinctly worse and less awesome, and Harry would actually have skills instead of just luck.**

**Prologue**

Harry stands in the centre of a ritual circle as he prepares to change the past. His mind wanders to the end of his final battle with Moldywart.

_Harry stood victorious over the body of Tom Riddle, nearly all his friends and family dead. Turning from the mangled form of the Dark Lord, Harry watched as Mcgonagal, George, Kingsley, Aberforth and Krum mourned the forms of Hermione, Neville and his grandmother, Luna's Dad, Draco and his mother (turned to the Order's side after the Battle of Hogwarts), Lee Jordan, Amos Diggory, Griphook and a few other Goblins._

Harry closes his eyes, trying to block the painful memories. This proved to be a mistake as the image of Ginny's death outside of the abandoned WWW joke shop.

_A small group of Death Eaters had apparated into Diagon Alley as Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Neville were heading to Gringots. The three 19 year olds and Ginny had taken out a few of the Death Eaters, including Bellatrix, before one of them stepped out and hit Ginny with a shredding curse, effectively turning her into a bloody mess of spaghetti. Harry, going into a blind rage, had started firing blasting and killing curses at the remaining Death Eaters._

_After that battle Hermione had revealed that the Death Eater that got Ginny was in fact Tom the bartender._

The faces of all the dead flashes before Harry's eyes in no specific order, _Mrs Weasley, Fred, Sirius, Seamus, Luna, Lavender, Ron, Susan, Remus, Tonks, the seemingly infinite number of nameless students, Hagrid, Mad-eye, Bill and Fleur at the claws and jaw of Greyback, Charlie, Percy, Arthur, Flitwick, Slughorn, Snape, Amelia Bones, Albus Dumbledore and so many more._

Harry places the Elder wand, Resurrection Stone and Invisibility cloak in front of him as he begins the ritual of summoning Death. The circle begins to glow a blood red as Harry chants, his hands covered in his own blood.

A huge door grows out of the earth, one half white and the other black with an eye in the centre split in the middle each side the opposite colour of the door. The door opens, splitting at the middle so that a half of the eye is on both sides, to reveal a figure hidden by a grey cloak and holding a scythe made of bone with a black blade. Death steps through the door as it slams shut and stumbles over its cloak, tripping and falling flat on its face.

Harry stares at the face down figure of Death and begins the chuckle, for the first time in three years. The chuckle soon becomes full blown laughter as Death slowly gets back onto their feet.

"Shut up mortal." Death growls in a surprisingly female voice, silencing Harry almost instantly as Death's hood falls from her head. "You'd have trouble too if you had to walk around in a heavy cloak and carry a scythe everywhere."

Harry stares blankly at Death, eventually remembering how to speak and stuttering, "Y-You're a w-woman!"

"Yes, I am. Got a problem with that, Descendent of Ignotus?"

"Um, no not really, just surprizing I guess. I was sort of expecting you to be male … anyhow, moving on," Harry says seeing the annoyed expression on Death's rather attractive face. "I want to go back and prevent so many deaths at the hands of the … err … Riddle and his um, minions."

Death growls and mutters "Stupid mortals presuming they could eat me." She straitens and replies "And would do I receive in return?"

"Um … the Deathly hallows?" Harry replies hesitantly. Death's eyes snap to the stone, wand and cloak sitting on the ground, only just noticing them.

"Oh, I was wondering where those got to." She sweeps them off the bloodied soil as a chain wraps around her wrist and connects with Harry's core. Death glares at Harry, hatred burning in her yellow eyes.

"Sorry about that, didn't know if you would agree, but it allows me another bargain, your freedom." Harry says apologetically.

"Fine!" Death snaps, pushing open the doors she had come from. Turning back to Harry she snarls scornfully "Well, are you coming or should I disrobe too _Master_?" adding the last word as a growl

Harry hesitates for a second before following Death through the Gate.

21 years earlier on July 31st twin boys are born to a strange couple known as the Potters. The only difference between the two being one would have green eyes while the other would have brown.

Neither could know that their family would be destroyed on Halloween the following year or that they would be sent to separate families to be raised in completely different environments. Not knowing that one was destined to defeat the newest Dark Lord, while the other would never be allowed to rest.

By the time this was to come to pass the brown eyed one would be named Nicholas Sirius and the other, slightly older one, named Harry James.

**Only 834 words, but it's just a prologue, and I found it difficult to write this, as I had not really given it much thought before now.**

**The Red Dementor**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, if I did it would be distinctly worse and less awesome, and Harry would probably have skills instead of just 'dumb luck'.**

**Chapter 1**

Nicholas Potter watches as his parents, Lilly and James Potter, fuss over him after the latest visit to the hospital, where the found out his sleep cycle would lose a second each day, now this may not seem very significant but by the time he was eleven he would be either dead or be unable to sleep after September 1st, except maybe 92 seconds. So naturally his Mother and Father had almost had a stroke when they realised he wasn't sleeping properly. At first they simply thought he was a light sleeper as he would wake slightly earlier than his, ever so slightly, older brother; but that changed as after a year he was sleeping in very short bursts.

Now they were in hiding as they were told Voldemort was after one of their children. Which one, neither knew but when Dumbledore tells you to hide, you hide.

Today was October 29th 1981 and the Potters had secretly visited St Mungo's earlier in the day, Harry was sleeping and Nicholas was playing with his father's invisibility cloak, mainly chewing on it. This continued as his father took the nightshift of watching the young children, Lilly going to bed, that is until Nick rolled over with the cloak in his mouth and _didn't_ turn invisible.

James jumps up, gently removes the cloak from his son and tries it on, to see if it still worked. James looks down to find, yes, the cloak indeed still turns him invisible, so why not his son? Deciding to have a bit of fun he slips the cloak over his head and creeps towards the one year old only for him to grab a corner of the cloak and start salivating on it. James let the cloak drop and stares dumbfounded at his son as he proceeds to crawl between his legs and curl up for a quick nap.

Two days later Nicholas and Harry were sitting in their cots as their father yells something to their mother as she rushes into the room and barricades the door as a green flash lights the frame. A few seconds later, Nicholas was asleep and the door explodes open leaving a man with red eyes standing in the frame. Once again speech happens, but infants can't _really _understand it yet and after a while the red eyed man shoots Lilly with another green flash before walking over to the cot with the only child that was awake, Harry Potter, and points his wand at Harry and casts the killing curse just as Nicholas wakes back up.

* * *

**Five years later**

**6:30 am August 3****rd**** 1986**

Nicholas smiled at the strange creature that had appeared in his room at the Flamel Manor. It was a small black wolf cub, about the size of his arm, except the shadows of the room seemed to gravitate to it. Nicholas, preferring to be called Sirius as his adopted father's name is also Nicholas, slips off his queen sized bed and walks over to the pup. The wolf cub retreats into the shadows where it seems to dissolve, this being the third time this had happened Sirius has a quick search of the room before running down to the dining room to inform his "Uncle" of the cub's return.

Reaching the dining table he slips into his seat as Perenelle served breakfast.

"Hey, Unc, the wolf was back, I almost got to pat it this time!" Sirius exclaims as he digs into his meal.

"Ah, this is the Shadow wolf I take it?" Nicholas Flamel asks, amused at the child's imagination.

"Yeah, hey, when are you going to teach me alchemy?"

"Seriously we're on tha-?"

"May last name's not Lee" Sirius interjects cheerfully in a sing song voice.

Uncle Nick stops and gives Perenelle a look of exasperation.

"Sweety, you know we can't teach you until you turn eleven, you could damage your core" Perenelle says as she sits down across from her husband. Sirius nods and returns his attention to his food.

After breakfast Nicholas Sirius Potter-Flamel runs off back upstairs, leaving the adults at the table to worry about his rapidly decreasing sleep pattern.

Sirius was running around the property, other than the forest of course, searching for the shadow wolf cub he had claimed would be his. As he rounds a corner he spots the pup with its mother and siblings. He can tell which one was visiting his room as it was the only solid black one, the others had slight variances. Taking slow, small steps towards the wolves Sirius sat next to the large wolf's head (which was larger than his chest) and watches her feed the cubs.

A few minutes later he was playing with the cubs as the mother kept her violet eyes fixed to the strange boy who had one foot in her world and the other in the living.

An hour later the Flamels walk outside to find Sirius rolling around on the ground, as if playing with a dog.

"Sirius, Albus is here, he wants to see you." Uncle Nicholas calls to the child

"Hang on, be right there!" Sirius yells back before turning to the wolf cub on his chest and asking quieter, "Do you want to meet a wizard with a really long beared Umbrae?**1** "

The wolf cub shifts off Sirius and allows him to stand before jumping onto his shoulder, taking this as a yes Sirius sets off towards Perenell and Nicholas, unknowingly pulling Umbrae into the realm of the living.

The two adults stumble backwards at the shock of seeing a black wolf cub appear on their charge's shoulders. Quickly hiding their surprise they lead the boy and wolf to where Dumbledore was standing in the living room, which was quite literally alive and would occasionally talk to you.

"Ah, there you are my boy and who might is ask is that on your shoulder?" Dumbledore asks

"Oh, this is my friend Umbrae, he's a Shadow wolf!" Sirius replies "Umbrae, this is Dumbledore, see his beard? I told you it was really long"

"Yes it is rather nice isn't it?" Dumbledore asks with twinkling eyes. "Anyhow, as I couldn't make it to your birthday this year I thought you might like to visit your brother with me?"

"I actually get to visit him this time? Can I bring Umbrae with me? Will he look like me? Does he have a beard? I like beards! Will he know me? Where does he live?" Sirius asks without pause for breath

Dumbledore blinks at the rapid fire questions. "Well, let's see, Yes, yes, yes, no, do you really, no, No. 4 Privet Drive"

"Oh, well, let's go then, Umbrae we're going to meet my brother, what do you think of that?" Umbrae yips and bites Sirius' ear. "Oh, that hurts Umbrae!"

Sirius stumbles slightly as his body seems to get heavier. "Note to self, don't bite anyone else's ear as it hurts. Also is that a yes or a no?"

Umbrae licks the bitten ear until it stops bleeding and rests back on his pet's shoulders.

"I'll take that as a yes" Sirius walks over to Dumbledore, "So are we apparating or using the flew or a portkey? I hope it's apparating as it hurts the least."

"Portkey" Dumbledore replies with a slight frown. "It's not connected to the flew network and the wards prevent me from apparating straight there."

With that Dumbledore handed Sirius a teacup and activating it sent him into the living room of the Dursley's house.

* * *

**8am in the morning, **

Nicholas Sirius Potter-Flamel appears upside down with his feet on the roof just above Vernon Dursley, now as Sirius has no way of sticking to the roof he promptly smacked his head straight into Vernon's and flopped to the ground next to where Umbrae had landed.

"Ow, my head, argh pain, ok I'm better now" Sirius jumps up, scoops up Umbrae and stares at the blob of blubber sitting on the floor glaring back at him. "What's your problem?"

"BOY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT OF YOUR CUPBOARD?" The blob shouted.

Dumbledore appeared next to Sirius looking as if he had just walked through a gentle breeze. The blob, spotting Dumbledore pales until it looks like off porridge.

"My cupboard is at home, I got changed at four so I don't see the point of staying in it. Why do you ask?"

"…" The blob replies

"What's going on here?" Dumbledore asks "Why are you talking about your cupboard?"

"He asked me why I was out of it" Sirius states in a bored tone, continuing in an exited babble "Now, where's my brother!?"

"…" The blob replies

"Can you still speak? Did you hit your head? Where's my brother? Is he okay?"

"Yes, where is Harry?" Dumbledore asks kindly

"You're a freak aren't you!" the blob growls at Dumbledore, turning puce incredibly fast

"Nope, not a freak, I'm an alchemist, or at least I will be," I reply for the old man, "and one day I'll have a brilliant beard like Dumbledore!"

The blob paled again. Sirius, getting bored again started walking out of the room.

"Freak, get back here!" The blob shouted, there was a banging and a slightly shorter version of Sirius, except with emerald green eyes instead of chocolate brown, popped his head through the door.

"Yes Uncle Vernon?" Harry asks. Vernon looks between Nicholas and Harry, before paling even more than before.

Sirius runs over to Harry, "You must be my brother!" he says needlessly loud and envelopes the startled child in a hug "It's great to finally meet you."

"U-um, w-who are you?" Harry stammered weakly

"I am Sirius, your brother, though I don't know which of us is the older one … Dumbledore is he my older or younger brother?"

"Older" Dumbledore growled out as he glared and the blob known as Vernon.

"Well, no need to be so grouchy. Well little big brother, why are you wearing baggy clothes, it's almost like this house doesn't know what skinny people should wear, mine does, it mostly gives me black clothes though, which is strange." Sirius rambles at the smaller boy.

"Little big brother? Does that you my big little brother?" Harry asks uncertainy

"Yes, yes it does. Now, off we go on an adventure!" Sirius runs out of the room, closely followed by his older brother.

The two brothers walk slowly down Privet drive towards what Harry calls a park, whatever that is, enjoying each other's company.

"What's a park anyway? I've never heard of one before" Sirius asks

"Um, well, it's a place where people play?" Harry says confused as to why someone would not know what a park was.

"So, like the yard back home with heaps of wild and sometimes dangerous magical creatures?"

"Magical creatures? Is magic real? Sorry."

"What are you apologising for? Anyhow, yes magic is real. I can't believe my brother is living in the muggle world. So strange!"

"What's on your shoulders by the way?"

"Hmm? Oh this is Umbrae; he's a Shadow wolf, and my friend. Though he did bite my ear earlier today, but he's nice" Sirius pats the wolf's head.

The two reach the park a few minutes later and Umbrae jumps from his seat and vanishes into the shadows. Seeing this Harry asks "Where'd he go?"

Nicholas looks over at the spot Umbrae disappeared and says "Probably back to his mother, he is still a pup after all"

Sitting down Nicholas watches the children at the park playing, that is until a miniature blob showed with a pack of other blobs and a rat person up to ruin the day.

"What is a freak like you doing at a place like this?" The fat blob asks

"What kind of place is this anyway?" Sirius asks, standing up before Harry can respond. "I'm new here and it's rather strange to see talking blobs of fat."

The blob seemed to try thinking before giving up and choosing to punch Nicholas instead. Being punched in the nose by the surprisingly strong blob Sirius dropped to the ground, blood flowing from his nose.

"Ow, okay, note to self, don't insult talking blobs, also why's Umbrae here?" Umbrae had just jumped out of the blobs shadow and was now growling at the large fleshy blob.

'_Stay away from my familiar silly mortal!' _Umbrae growls, though no-one seem to understand the pup other than Nicholas _'Or I can bite your leg off!'_

"Ah, it's a wolf!" The rat person yelled and bolted, followed by the other members of the 'blob pack' and the 'alpha blob'.

**Well, chapter one is up I guess, 2,109 words this chapter, so that's good.  
Not going to have a computer after Monday, tomorrow, so don't expect any updates for a while. Please review, as that was the main reason this took so long to be written.  
1 Umbrae is Latin for shadows  
****I procrastinated until the last minute and typed this up in four hours, so don't be all like "his is crap and you should delete this" as I used to be like when I reviewed a chapter and it didn't live up to my rather ridiculous expectations.  
****And yes, I realise I left it on a cliff hanger, but I didn't plan on Nicholas meeting Harry until they went to platform 9 ¾, the chapter just writes itself I swear on Deaths shiny black scythe!**

**The Red Dementor**


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